The hope for an NBA expansion franchise to return to Seattle still lives. However, the process is moving much more slowly than some expect.
On Friday, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver sounded an alarm for Seattle bidders: Mexico City could be a viable expansion location, ESPN's Brian Windhorst said. Apparently, at a recent Governors Board Meeting, Seattle wasn't a certain expansion location as most thought, and Mexico City came up.
Additional sources told ESPN that a Mexico City-based group had apparently approached the NBA expansion partner group PJT Partners about setting up a franchise and constructing an arena in the heart of Mexico City.
While all that gets sorted out, the NBA is focused on an expansion in Las Vegas. Additionally, Silver is making a concerted effort to avoid having two expansion franchises arrive at the same time.
Seattle Kraken and Climate Pledge Arena owner Samantha Holloway are considered the leading bidding group. However, their bid is substantially lower than in the Vegas bidding war, which could exceed $10 billion.
The Seattle SuperSonics were in full bloom from 1967 to 2008. They won the NBA championship in 1979 and produced some of the game's greatest players. Among them are Spencer Haywood, Dennis Johnson, Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp, and Ray Allen.
Article Continues BelowIn 2008, they relocated to Oklahoma City to become the Thunder.
The NBA would embrace the approach of bringing back an old franchise with an established fanbase, a rich history, and a vibrant basketball culture. Meanwhile, starting a new franchise in an unfamiliar location is riskier.